On
August 1, 2007, Republican Senators McConnell and Bond introduced
U.S. Senate Bill S1927, “To amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Act of 1978 to provide additional procedures for authorizing certain
acquisitions of foreign intelligence information and for other purposes,”
on the floor of the U.S. Senate. It is alleged that there was not
one U.S. Senator that objected to this bill being introduced under
Senate rules.

U.S.
Senate Bill S1927, was railroaded into passage by the President of
the United States who declared that it should be passed, that it was
a matter of national security, and that “new undisclosed threats”
may surely cause us to be attacked while Congress was on a month-long
vacation, if this bill were not passed by Congress. Democratic Majority
Leader of the U. S. Senate, Harry Reid and U.S. Speaker of the House
of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi allowed this bill to be brought to
the floor for a vote knowing that they did not have the votes to defeat
this bill.

The
passage of this bill and the loss of our civil liberties under the
U.S.

Constitution
is forever lost to the American people.

When
these so-called “Congressional Leaders” now say that they will fix
this bill by bringing to vote another bill they are not telling you
the truth. The President will only sign bills that further undermine
our Civil Liberties and will veto any bills that don’t meet his demands.
And when Senator Reid and Speak Pelosi state that there is a sunset
provision in this bill this is not completely true either. They allowed
this bill to pass knowing that the bill contained the following “exception”
language:

(c) Sunset-
Except as provided in subsection (d), sections 2, 3, 4, and 5
of this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall cease
to have effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act.

(d)
Authorizations in Effect- Authorizations for the acquisition of
foreign intelligence information pursuant to the amendments made
by this Act, and directives issued pursuant to such authorizations,
shall remain in effect until their expiration. Such acquisitions
shall be governed by the applicable provisions of such amendments
and shall not be deemed to constitute electronic surveillance as
that term is defined in section 101(f) of the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act of 1978 (50
U.S.C. 1801(f)).

If
you take a look at the exceptions listed above you will note that
the provisions in the bill that are the most harmful the to rights
of American citizens will continue forever. And when Subsection (d)
states “…shall remain in effect until their expiration…” one should
understand that directives can be issued that will last in perpetuity.

The
bill is a short one and easy to read. Everyone that looks at this
bill will know that those who voted for this bill had read it and
understood completely the provisions in this bill. And remember that
Senator Feinstein from California voted for this bill and Senator
Barbara Boxer allegedly couldn’t be found to cast her vote. (Congressman
Mike Thompson from California understood the true nature of this bill
and voted against it.) How did your elected representatives vote?
Elections are on the horizon and it is time we held our elected representatives
accountable for their actions in not upholding our civil liberties
and undermining the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore under Section 105B
(a):

“…Sec.
105B. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the Director of National
Intelligence and the Attorney General, may for periods of up to
one year authorize the acquisition of foreign intelligence information
concerning persons reasonably believed to be outside the United
States if the Director of National Intelligence and the Attorney
General determine…”

This
bill allows only two people to make decisions regarding the acquisition
of foreign intelligence information and communications between U.S.
Citizens and those outside the United States. And one of them is Attorney
General Gonzales who has failed to “remember” his actions or allegedly
lied to Congress on several occasions. It is alleged that no Court,
even the FISA Court, will be reviewing these decisions in advance
to determine “probable cause” in advance of these acquisitions and
will merely “rubber stamp” these actions once brought before them.
And it does not limit the number of outside agents (and “others”)
that are now empowered to provide information or spy on American citizens
both inside and outside of the United States.

This
bill also makes freedom of the press, guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution
null and void. Why? Reporters, for example, have a wide variety of
sources inside and outside of the United States and they provide news
reports while living outside the United States. There is nothing to
prevent the Bush Administration, or any future administration from
spying on reporters and their sources. This bill has a “chilling affect”
on the news we will be receiving from reporters and foreign sources.
And it will further isolate U.S. Citizens from the knowledge of what
is happening outside the United States. It will make news coverage
more difficult and promote a news media only able to report on what
any current “administration” deems acceptable as news. And it will
cut down on a reporter’s ability to research and report on issues
that may not be acceptable to any current administration.

In
addition, it places a “chill” on communications between families living
inside and outside the United States…and on any correspondence by
U.S. citizens to and from U.S. citizens living or traveling outside
the United States. The “chill” will be the fear that communication
will immediately place both sides of a communication under surveillance
by the Bush Administration without probable cause of any type of illegal
or terrorist activity. And American citizens will have no possible
way to find out about any type of communications surveillance or redress
their grievances about such surveillance. Since American citizens
who are spied upon will not know about the spying due to the “information
being classified” they cannot take legal action.

It
is clear that the Bush/Cheney Administration characterizes those that
oppose the positions taken by their administration or who ask uncomfortable
questions, as unpatriotic. Vice-President Cheney and members of the
Bush Administration have made that extremely clear with their rhetoric
since the so-called election of Bush in 2001. If our generals disagree
with the President or anyone inside his administration disagrees in
public, their resignations or firings are almost immediate.

And
it is clear, that Congress is working toward passing another version
of this bill this fall and are holding hearings this week on a new
version. The next version to be passed will erode our Constitution
and our Bill of Rights even more unless we, the American people, rise
up and say no. It is quite possible that the majority of people feel
that they have nothing to hide and therefore why object to this invasion
of privacy. Since when did Americans become the enemy to be spied
upon? And does spying on American citizens and undermining our rights
protect us? No! It only promotes more fear to speak out and object
against government policies which the American people feel are not
right.

An
acquiescent media and many reporters, who were Bush Administration
“mouthpieces,” have pushed a one-sided version of events to the detriment
of all American citizens. These mouthpieces led us down the path to
attacking Iraq and they continue to drive discussions about the United
States taking action against other countries, like Iran, without a
bit of proof being provided to the American people. (CNN’s Michael
Ware constantly reports as fact many stories from Iraq and gives opinions
about other countries…however, he provides no independent proof of
his statements and he is never pressed as to the accuracy and who
are his sources.) Many reporters like to push Bush Administration
propaganda about the Iraq war without any proof. When asked about
their proof they can only quote “high government officials.” They
have no other research or documents to back up their claims. The signing
of U.S. Senate Bill S1927 will make more reporters Bush/Cheney “mouthpieces”
and make it much harder for American citizens to know the truth or
protest the actions of our government.

The
media continues, as one example, to hide most information or show
pictures that would give American citizens a clear view of what is
happening in many countries around the world. They rarely mention
the real story of what is happening to our jobs…and don’t let any
candidates for office tell you that their re-education plans for us
are going to help you find a good paying job ever again. Re-educate
us for what…jobs that don’t exist? (American workers are good workers
and are educated…American companies just don’t want to pay us a living
wage and a pension.

There
is no corporate loyalty to the American workers who made these corporations
rich…now it is only the greed of higher profits that drives corporate
interests along with cheap illegal labor designed to keep wages low
for all American citizens. If corporations won’t have access to cheap
illegal workers then outsourcing to find the lower wage workers in
other countries will increase. And as we import more from countries
like China – food and product safety become very real issues that
Congress is not addressing.) Luckily we still have a few patriotic
and courageous people who will speak out on these issues, Like Lou
Dobbs on CNN, and Keith Obermann on MSNBC.

As
your elected representatives show up in your neighborhoods asking
for your vote and your money remember that lobbying and ethics reform
has not been high on their agendas since the last election. And when
candidates tell you, like Senator Clinton, that corporations like
Chevron, Exxon, or the pharmaceutical companies represent the people…that
is not exactly true. Corporations do not represent the interests of
their employees; they represent their corporate profit and unregulated
business interests in their lobbying efforts. Corporations are becoming
rich on government welfare programs…the oil companies are just one
example.

When
you go to vote also remember that most members of the U.S. Congress
failed to stop U.S. Senate Bill S1927, which amended the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act of 1978, which provides additional procedures for
authorizing certain acquisitions of foreign intelligence information
and for other purposes.” This past week CNN and MSNBC (August 15,
2007), announced that our military spy satellites would now be allowed
to secretly spy on the citizens of the United States and the information
gathered would be used by many agencies within the U.S. When did U.S.
Citizens become the enemy? And when voting remember how they voted
on not protecting American jobs in favor of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Also
remember that most of your candidates for President did not step outside
of their offices with regard to U.S. Senate Bill S1927 and ask all
American citizens to take immediate action against this bill. They
didn’t hold press conferences and in most cases their offices were
only open to the public during regular hours and were not open after
hours and on weekends so that their constituents could contact them
about this bill that was passed during weekend hours. Only one Congressman,
that I know of, Mike Thompson, of California, kept his office open
for calls…he should be commended. What about your elected officials?

A
few members of Congress were given classified briefings and classified
information between August 1, and August 4, 2007, with regard to alleged
terrorist threats. However, they couldn’t object in public to what
they were spoon-fed by Bush/Cheney. Receiving classified information
effectively neutered them from representing your interests. What a
neat trick…give a certain few, most Bush Administration supporters,
a little classified information so that they could convince others
to vote for this bill.

The
few who “know the secrets” are unable to speak out. And what about
the majority that are not briefed and given this classified information?
They can’t represent your interests as they are deliberately kept
in the dark regarding these issues unless they read the information
in a newspaper. Many politicians stand on the floor of Congress reading
newspaper information about what our government is doing behind closed
doors. It is odd that our elected officials have to rely on the press
to find out what they should know already as our representatives.

And
when they state that they can’t debate most classified information
on the floor of the House or Senate…that isn’t quite true either.
A U.S. Supreme Court decision upheld the right, in 1972, of Senator
Gravel to release classified information on the floor of the U.S.
Senate under the “Speech and Debate Clause” of the U.S. Constitution.
The public has a right to hear these debates. Therefore, when your
elected officials say that they can’t object to certain programs or
policies because the information is classified, quote this Supreme
Court Decision. The U.S. Constitution allows them to speak truth to
power and debate these issues under the “Speech & Debate Clause” of
the U.S. Constitution; and this right was upheld in 1972, by the U.S.
Supreme Court.

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It
is time to step forward and demand that our elected officials stop
undermining our U.S. Constitution and our Civil Liberties. And if
they don’t, we the people, can show up and vote “no” at election time.
The American people have a powerful voice and can apply pressure today
on all of our elected officials… and we can let them know we outnumber
the corporate lobbyists at the ballot box.

In
1995, Rosalind, now retired, became a certified California United State
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency Agriculture Crop
Loss Adjustor working in more than ten counties throughout California.
Rosalind
has a BA degree from Sonoma State University in Environmental Studies
& Planning (ENSP), with emphasis on using solar power, photosynthesis,
agriculture, and crop production.

Between
1989 and 1993 Rosalind worked as an Agricultural Technologist for the
Mendocino County Department of Agriculture. After leaving Mendocino County
she took a position with the USDA Farm Service Agency as a Program Assistant
in Mendocino, Sonoma, and the Salinas County Offices, where she worked
until becoming certified as a crop loss adjustor for the State.

When
these so-called “Congressional Leaders” now say that they will fix this
bill by bringing to vote another bill they are not telling you the truth.
The President will only sign bills that further undermine our Civil Liberties
and will veto any bills that don’t meet his demands.